Recent offseasons have seen the top of the wide receiver market reach unprecedented heights. A number of teams around the league have made massive investments in both ascending and established pass-catchers, but the Giants have not been among them under general manager Joe Schoen. 
New York inked Kenny Golladay to a four-year, $72MM during Dave Gettleman‘s final year at the helm. That pact proved to be ill-fated, as the ex-Lions Pro Bowler recorded one touchdown catch in 28 combined regular and postseason games. Golladay was released last March, and he remains unsigned.
Under Schoen, the Giants have relied on the draft to fill out the receiver room. Wan’Dale Robinson (second round, 2022), Jalin Hyatt (third round, 2023) and Malik Nabers (first round, 2024) represent the team’s most notable investments along that route. The latter in particular faces major expectations entering his rookie season (although New York attempted to move the No. 6 pick in a trade-up which would have yielded quarterback Drake Maye).
The Nabers-Hyatt-Robinson trio comprises a low-cost group to join veteran Darius Slayton. A contract dispute was recently ended in that case, and $2.15MM now exist in incentives on the final year of his pact. Slayton, fellow veteran Allen Robinson and the Giants’ young WR options are the product of an organizational effort aimed at keeping costs down at the position.
“You see where the wave is going,” assistant general manager Brandon Brown said of the Giants’ financial approach (via Ryan Dunleavy of the New York Post). “We’ve talked over the years about projecting the market… and you don’t want to be on the wrong end of deals. I think, when you look at how young our receiver corps is, it’s an advantageous position to be in. Just the production, opportunity and the skill set all allows for you to be cost-controlled.”
Fielding a receiving corps lacking in major cap commitments has allowed the Giants to make moves such as the Brian Burns acquisition. The trade for the ex-Panthers edge rusher was accompanied by a five-year, $141MM extension. Of course, the Giants’ offense features a notable investment in the form of quarterback Daniel Jones. He is in place for at least one more season on his $40MM-per-year deal, although the team’s interest in replacing him were understandably not well received.
Questions remain about Jones’ long-term future, but adding a rookie signal-caller would provide the cap flexibility to make a signficant addition at spots such as receiver. Given Brown’s comments, though, the Giants appear content to remain committed to their current approach at one of the league’s premium positions.